Ukraine receives Patriot air defense systems, and it’s just the beginning. The US and its allies have provided the systems under a new scheme in which European nations foot the bill for American weapons supplied to Kyiv, The Washington Post reports. 

Two more is on the way

Germany has already delivered three Patriots. One more is under discussion with the US, while Berlin has pledged to help provide a total of five.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed this during a meeting of Ukraine’s allies, without going into further detail.

Ukraine aims for ten systems

Kyiv is aiming to receive ten Patriots under the new arrangement. Some batteries could even come from outside NATO. For instance, Switzerland has agreed to redirect five systems it had previously ordered to Ukraine, and will receive its own later.

Under the new scheme, Ukraine will also receive advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, drone interceptors, and artillery platforms, according to two informed officials.

Long-range missiles? Germany says no, the US still weighing options

Meanwhile, the issue of long-range weapons remains unresolved. Germany has already ruled out supplying Taurus cruise missiles. The US has not provided a clear signal. NATO officials are not ready to confirm that such transfers will not happen in the future, despite US President Donald Trump’s refusal.

All it takes is one FPV drone, and old North Korean iron blows up like fireworks. The outdated multiple rocket launch systems that North Korea has supplied to Russia have proven fatally vulnerable to Ukrainian FPV drones, Business Insider reports. 

Ukrainian drones don’t just hit targets. They target loaded munitions directly in open launch tubes, causing explosions, fires, and catastrophic damage.

According to the military, the 429th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems Achilles launched a drone at a North Korean 107mm Type-75 launcher when it was already loaded. The strike triggered a chain reaction — missile explosions, fire, debris.

The Type-75 is Pyongyang’s version of the Chinese Type-63, equipped with 12 open launch tubes. These old launchers have been spotted on the Russian front for several months now, and they are the ones exploding en masse after drone strikes.

Another case involved the 413th Battalion of Unmanned Systems. In late June, a drone hit one of the munitions in an M1991 launcher. It resulted a premature launch, pierced truck chassis, and a smoke-filled cabin from which soldiers jumped out.

Most Korean weapons are copies of Soviet or Chinese systems that Russia has long used. For example, old BM-21 Grads are also loaded manually and lack drone protection.

In contrast, Western systems like the American M142 HIMARS have protected rocket containers, making the job much harder for kamikaze drones.

While North Korea supplies Russia with outdated systems, militaries around the world are already betting on drones, which are cheap, accurate, and lethally effective.

The Czech Ministry of Defense has announced a significant increase in artillery ammunition deliveries to Ukraine in 2025 under its weapon initiative. It combines NATO countries’ donations with direct ammunition sales through a government-led program that has earned the confidence of international partners, Reuters reports. 

Czechia formed a special team for Ukraine, which together with private companies, scours global markets for surplus ammunition stockpiles and new production lines. Ammunition batches are offered to donor countries, which decide individually what to finance.

Director Ales Vytecka of the Czech Defense Ministry’s AMOS international cooperation agency says 850,000 shells have already been delivered in 2025 to Ukraine, including 320,000 of NATO-standard 155 mm rounds. These figures are approaching last year’s total of 1.5 million shells, 500,000 of which were 155 mm.

Despite the opposition party’s threats to shut the program down after elections, Vytecka stresses that transparency is maintained to the extent allowed by security considerations. He added that the 29% increase in donor contributions compared to 2024 is a clear vote of confidence in the program’s effectiveness.

Donor nations, including Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, choose which deliveries to fund, and all procurement offers are subject to audit in their respective jurisdictions.

The American foreign policy takes an unexpected turn as the US ramps up arms supplies to NATO for Ukraine. President Donald Trump has announced a sharp increase in arms shipments to European allies, intended for eventual transfer to Ukraine, a dramatic reversal of his earlier stance on the war, Axios reports. 

According to a well-informed source, the first wave of deliveries will see the US sell roughly $10 billion worth of weapons to NATO partners for Ukraine. 

“The supplies ultimately bound for Ukraine include missiles, air defense weaponry and artillery shells,” the report writes. 

This marks a fundamental shift in Trump’s stance towards Ukraine, as he initially refused to take sides and insisted on providing only defensive weapons to avoid escalating the war. 

In addition, he issued a stark ultimatum to Moscow: Russia has 50 days to agree to a peace deal, or face 100% tariffs. Journalists note that such a move could significantly impact global oil markets.

A White House official told Axios that Moscow must agree to a ceasefire during that time to avoid harsh sanctions and tariffs.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, for his part, reiterated that Ukraine seeks peace. He noted that the Alliance, which would pay for Kyiv’s weapons, would now assess what the country specifically needs. After that, NATO will properly structure military aid packages. The country will gain access to a wide array of weapons, including missile defense systems and ammunition.

If not for a Spanish company, Russia could have run out of new artillery barrels. Barcelona-based Forward Technical Trade SL supplied at least one radial forging machine to Russia, initially built by the Austrian firm Gesellschaft für Fertigungstechnik und Maschinenbau (GFM), the Insider reports. 

The equipment, valued at $1.3 million, weighs 110 tons and was manufactured in 1983. The transfer reportedly occurred via a Hong Kong-based intermediary, Scorpion’s Holding Group Limited.

GFM denies any direct business ties with either the Spanish supplier or the Hong Kong firm. However, the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) confirms that GFM machines are crucial for barrel manufacturing in Russia — and that the Russian defense industry remains entirely dependent on them.

According to US-based expert Pavel Luzin, Russia cannot produce these forging machines domestically. Facing severe shortages, Russian forces have already begun “cannibalizing” old Soviet stockpiles, endangering frontline performance.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reported that the West still had not sanctioned 70 Russian companies behind the production of missiles that struck Kyiv’s largest children’s cancer hospital. 

The Okhmatdyt strike occurred the same day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 8-9 July 2024, calling for a peaceful resolution to the war. While the two leaders spoke of peace, Russian missiles rained down across Ukraine, killing 47 people, including 33 in Kyiv.

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Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast injured nine people and damaged residential infrastructure on June 18-19, according to local authorities.

Thirty-four settlements were reportedly targeted with artillery and drones.

On June 18 at 6:00 p.m. local time, eight civilians were reported injured, including two men in Komyshany and Romashkovo, and six others in Bilozerka, Beryslav, Antonivka, and the regional capital Kherson. One more person has been injured since then.

Civilian infrastructure, including private homes and residential buildings, was also damaged in the attacks. A gas pipeline, emergency medical clinic, and fire department were also damaged, according to the latest reports.

Kherson Oblast is located in southern Ukraine, just north of Russian-occupied Crimea, and has been relentless targeted by Russian forces throughout the war.

Ukrainian forces liberated the city of Kherson, the regional capital, in November 2022.

Russian troops continue to occupy large parts of the region and regularly launch attacks on civilian areas using artillery, guided bombs, and drones.

For the first time, Australia sanctions Russian shadow fleet oil tankers

“Russia uses these vessels to circumvent international sanctions and sustain its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine,” Australia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir